Arsenal Transfer News: Gunners Scout Jorginho, Latest Riyad Mahrez Rumours

The agent of Napoli midfielder Jorginho claims Arsenal have been scouting his client amid rumours the Gunners are considering making an offer in the January transfer window.

Speaking to Radio CRC (h/t Daily Star's Rhys Turrell), Jorginho's agent Joao Santos made the claims, saying: "One of the head scouts of Arsenal is well-known, and so I know he was at Marassi for the Napoli match."

The 23-year-old midfielder has emerged as one of Serie A's most exciting young players since moving to Napoli from Hellas Verona in 2014. After a shaky start, he came into his own in the final months of last season, and under new manager Maurizio Sarri, he has looked like a star.

Alasdair Mackenzie of FourFourTwo is a fan:

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Should the north Londoners be successful with an offer, it's easy to see him fitting in well at the Emirates: as well as possessing ability on the ball that Wenger considers essential, the 23-year-old plays in a deeper role and would be a more technically capable, composed figure in front of the defence than Francis Coquelin, Mathieu Flamini or Mikel Arteta.

[…] Jorginho reads the game well, possesses a superb range of passing and is very handy from the penalty spot. The major questions would be about his ability to compete physically in the Premier League and whether he’d be able to adapt to having less time on the ball than in Serie A.

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The Brazilian-born Jorginho isn't a traditional bruiser at the holding-midfielder position. Instead, he's a fantastic passer with superb vision and instincts, and fans of Serie A will have little trouble comparing him to a young Andrea Pirlo.

His style of play means that he wouldn't be a direct replacement for Francis Coquelin should he move to the Emirates. The two could coexist quite easily on the pitch, with the Frenchman focusing on breaking down attacks and Jorginho stepping forward and contributing more in the passing game.

Napoli would rather keep hold of the young Italian, but the Partenopei happen to have a very deep squad with tons of talent in central midfield. The likes of Mirko Valdifiori and Omar El Kaddouri are anxious for more playing time, and with so many options on the bench, Napoli could be tempted into a sale should the right offer come along.

A move for Jorginho would make sense for the Gunners, adding some needed depth and a potential starter to the central areas. Compared to other rumoured targets, the youngster seems relatively obtainable, so this is certainly a rumour to keep an eye on.

Chelsea Push for Riyad Mahrez

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Footmercato365 (h/t Metro's Will Giles) continues to link the Gunners with Leicester City's Riyad Mahrez and claims Chelsea are most interested in the Algerian midfielder.

The 24-year-old is enjoying a stunning season with the Foxes, scoring and assisting almost at will. Combined with star forward Jamie Vardy, he's one of the main reasons for the club's unexpected success, which has in turn led to plenty of transfer speculation.

Per OulalaGames (h/t Eurosport UK), Mahrez's numbers look incredible:

The transfer chatter isn't a shock whatsoever, particularly given Chelsea's poor start to the 2015-16 campaign and Manchester United's need for another proficient scorer―the Red Devils are also linked with Mahrez, per Giles.

But the links with Arsenal make less sense. Mahrez is a versatile midfielder who can play through the centre or on the wing, but as a ball-dominant playmaker, he shares some similarities with Mesut Ozil.

Ozil has been one of Arsenal's top players all season and won't be pushed out of the starting XI anytime soon, and it's hard to see how the two would coexist, given that Mahrez needs to have the ball at his feet to be successful. Aaron Ramsey and Alexis Sanchez flank Ozil and create danger off the ball with their running, and that's not something Mahrez does best.

He could still be a solid fit for the Gunners, but other clubs have a bigger need and would likely be willing to overpay tremendously to bring him into the fold. It makes little sense for Arsenal to do the same or even pressure Leicester City into a sale.

The Foxes are also the beneficiaries of the new Premier League TV deal that suddenly means smaller clubs don't have to fear the giants of English football from a financial perspective like they did before. If Everton can hang onto Stones for months, per Dominic King of the Daily Mail, Leicester can do the same with Mahrez.

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